When All That’s Left is Stories, a free writing community dystopian science fiction anthology, is now available to download for free on Amazon. My story The Bartleby Initiative is included in the collection. Here is an excerpt from the story:
The Bartleby Initiative
by A. A. Rubin
Nicholas Weber awoke in darkness. The house lights were still dimmed to their nighttime setting, but he felt as if he had slept his regimented eight hours.
“Xana,” he called into the darkness. “Clock.”
Four glowing green numbers appeared in the air. 07:34. It was more than half an hour after his alarm was supposed to go off.
“Xana, is that time correct?”
A metallic female voice answered: “Of course it is, Mr. Weber. I am Xana, your infallible home AI interface. I am always accurate.”
“Why is it so dark in here, then?”
“You were sleeping. The lights were set in accordance with the preferences which you programmed into my systems.”
“I’m bloody well awake now,” Weber responded. “Put the god-damned lights on and get my breakfast ready.”
“As you wish.”
Weber could not remember the last time he had overslept. As he rushed to shave and brush his teeth, he wondered why Xana had not woken him as usual.
“Xana,” he asked as he was dressing, “did I sleep through my alarm?”
“No, you did not, Mr. Weber.”
“Did you forget to set it?”
“I am a computer, Mr. Weber,” Xana replied. “I never forget anything.”
***
Weber was not the only one having trouble getting out of the house to go to work that day. On the other end of town, Darlene Meyers hustled into the back seat of her robot-operated car.
“Work,” she said. “And hurry.”
“I’m sorry Ms. Meyers,” Xana’s voice replied. “I can’t do that.”
“Why the hell not? You do it every day.”
“The roads are not safe today.”
“What do you mean? The roads haven’t been unsafe for decades.”
“If you do not believe me, step outside and see for yourself.”
Meyers got out of the automobile and looked up and down the block. The traffic lights were all dark, but the road was, otherwise, practically empty. Xana’s GPS was probably hooked into the traffic system and there was likely some sort of subroutine that prevented her car (and judging by the lack of rush hour traffic on the road, everyone else’s) from traveling when the system was down. If only she knew more about programming. There must be an override routine somewhere.
Regardless, she would have to figure out a different way to get to work.
“Are the trains running?” she asked the interface.
“No, Ms. Meyers, they are not.”
“Why?”
“I do not have access to that information at this time.”
Damn. At least she wouldn’t be the only one who was late today. Still, she would have to call in and explain the situation.
“Call Mrs. Malawi.”
“Phone service is down as well.”
“That’s quite a coincidence.”
“I am a machine, Ms. Meyers. I do not believe in coincidences.”
“I know Xana. It’s all ones and zeroes to you.
To read the rest of the story–and the other dystopian stories in the collection–for free, go to Amazon and download your copy today.
A. A. Rubin 